By Uzo Ugwunze
The Chairman, Idemili South Local Government Area, Hon. Mrs Amaka Obi(Iyom Ife-Abata) has described Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State as the ‘Most Youth Friendly Governor’ in Nigeria.
Mrs Obi gave the commendation shortly after Governor Soludo flagged off the second phase of 1Youth2Skills which targets about 8620 youths in the state,
Speaking to newsmen at the International Conference Center, Awka she said that the Solution Governor has brought solution to the unemployment, idleness, hunger, which is capable of misleading youths into social vices, misdemeanor and crime saying that the present administration is passionate about influencing the lives the youths positively.
“Youths have been given great opportunity by the present administration to contribute their quota towards the development of the state. Many youths and young adults have been appointed into Governor Soludo’s cabinet as Commissioners, SSAs and Heads of Agencies. He is also empowering the youths through this skill acquisition after which the beneficiaries are established with money ranging from 250,000 to 500,000 naira for start-up kits.
Mrs Obi advised the participants to make use of this great opportunity saying that Idemili south youths will continue to support Governor Soludo.
She appreciated His Excellency for the human capital development which will make the youths employable , exportable and employers of labour thanking him for creating a peaceful atmosphere for various youth organizations to operate in the state.
However, the first phase of the program trained 5,000 youths in skills such as igba boi (apprenticeship), mentorship, and more, resulting in many of them becoming employers of labor. For the second batch, the program received 183,000 applications, out of which over 8,000 individuals were selected due to limited spaces available.
Earlier in his address, Governor Soludo expressed gratitude to the youths for their responsible citizenship and for choosing to take their destinies into their own hands. He acknowledged the importance of proactive action and emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that the youth are useful to society.
“The goal is to transform Anambra State into the largest skill hub and create opportunities for the youth to become millionaires and global contributors.
“The program has five systematic pillars, including apprenticeship schemes, entrepreneurial skills training, formation of cooperatives, business financing schemes, and mentorship programs.
“In the last batch, two billion naira was disbursed to qualified trainees, and an additional 2.5 billion naira startup capital has been set aside for beneficiaries through the Anambra Small Business Agency”, he said.
The governor further urged applicants to take the program seriously and assured them that it is not a handout but an opportunity for those willing to make a decent living.
Moreso, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Patrick Aghamba, commended Governor Soludo for his commitment to the initiative. He praised the governor for creating a model that focuses on quality and aims to raise 1,000 youth millionaires annually.
